Vintage Thing no.163 - Kia Picanto
Hiring a small car for a visit to the Shetland Isles gave me the opportunity to try a modern Kia Picanto. I was really impressed by its fuel economy and refinement. It felt in it's natural environment on Shetland, apart from the main road between Sumburgh and Lerwick where it ran out of puff on the steeper hills. On my first trip I managed an indicated 65.3mpg and subsequently saw flash readings of over 70mpg. The gearchange indicator light often came on long before the little car could climb a hill in a higher gear so I ignored it. This is to encourage drivers to eke out the fuel and when you're on the level or a downward grade it proved how much low down torque this little car has. There were no parking cameras and the handbrake was an ordinary one. The footbrake felt over-servoed compared to my old cars - apart from the Citroen GSA which is like an electric switch. I didn't explore what the knobs and buttons did on the steering wheel. It had air conditioning, which I kep...